Rotatable practice ball bat



y 1949. c. A. CHRISTENSEN 2,471,610

ROTATABLE PRACTICE BALL BAT Filed Oct. 25, 1946 l NUEN TOR 0/9/94 fl, Caemrsmsefl Mu v ATTORNEYS Patented May 31, 1949 ',471,s10 somerset i RAoTioE fiAiJL' film? can A. emails, mania... we; Aspire-sea 25, 16%; sea 1%. 752x672 10 Claims. (Cl. 27 37) iriveiitio'ri relates to irriprdvelnents in' z hra y ..,,w ,s

It is seminary ne; f t e. ve'n bh i69 vid pe'awlilcnis gseru ,either for training in precision or as an amusement device, the bat being provided .with means whereby the bat proper may rotate with respect to its handle, whereby, unless the ball is struck squarely on the center line of the bat, the rotation of the bat will cause the ball to be deflected.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the bat embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view in longitudinal section on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a view of the handle end of the bat in end elevation.

The external appearance of the bat is almost conventional, but there is preferably a slight bead 4 at the end of the handle sleeve 5 to differentiate the handle from the bat 6.

The end portion 1 of the bat proper is somewhat reduced in diameter to receive, and rotate within, the sleeve 5. Near its extreme end, the bat may be further reduced and provided with a bushing collar at 8.

The handle sleeve 5 is connected with a handle member 9 having a recess at In for the head of the lag screw II which is threaded into the bat end 1 and provides a spindle by means of which the bat and handle are swiveled for relative rotation. Ball bearings I2 beneath the head of the lag screw provide seats for compression spring l3. The compression spring l3, seated at its ends against the ball bearing races, takes up all end play. Another anti-friction bearing is provided at I20 between the end of the handle member 9 and the end 1 of the bat proper. These several anti-friction bearings permit the bat 6 to rotate very freely respecting th handle.

The bat end I is provided at l4 with a socket into which a detent rod 15 slidable through the handle member 9 is engageable to restrain the bat against rotation respecting the handle. The rod is provided with notches l6, l1 determinative of its advanced and retracted positions and alternatively engageable by an eccentrically pivoted latch disk l8. As shown, the disk is engaged in notch I! to hold the rod in its retracted position. If pivoted from the full line position of Fig. 3 to the dotted line position shown in that view, the disk ill will become disengaged from notch I1, thereby to release rod l5 for advance into the socket M, where it may be held by pivoting the disk I 8 into notch I 6. The disk I8 is 2 pivoted (iii a screw I9 attached to a plug zuin the hole 10 in which the head of lag screw H is ba 'i.

,If tl'ije handle andbat proper are locked togetne by theadvance of the rod I5 into socket i l, ,t he bat may be used like any other bat. ndw'eve'r, with the rod retracted as showers Fig. 2; the bat will rotate very freely with respect to its handle. In this condition it must strike a ball very squarely to get any appreciable driving effect. If the ball and the bat strike in the plane of bat movement on the center line of the bat, the drive of the ball will not be perceptibly affected. However, if the ball is either above or below said plane at the time of contact, the bat will rotate on its axis and the blow on the ball will be minimized. Not only may the ball go upwardly or downwardly rather than forwardly, but it will not receive the expected impact.

Thus, failure to strike the ball squarely is immediately evident and the bat is well adapted for use in training for accuracy in batting. Since, in the hands of inexperienced batters, the

' bat has an effect on th ball which is very unpredictable, the bat is also well adapted for use as an amusement device.

I claim.

1. As a new article of manufacture, a bat having a ball striking portion and an elongated handle portion in swivel connection with the ball striking portion for relative rotation upon a predetermined axis extending longitudinally of the handle.

2. The combination with a ball bat, of a separately fabricated handle comprising bearing means connecting the bat and handle and upon which the bat is rotatable respecting the handle.

3. The combination with a ball bat and a separately fabricated handle, of a spindle connected with the bat and extending into the handle and upon the axis of which the handle and bat are relatively rotatable, said spindl comprising means for connecting the handle and bat against axial separation.

4. The combination with a ball bat and a sep arately fabricated handle, of a sleeve connected with the handle and in which the bat is rotatably socketed, said sleeve providing a bearing in which the bat is rotatable respecting the handle, and means for holding the bat in the socket.

5. The combination with a ball bat and a separately fabricated handle, of a sleeve connected with the handle and in which the bat is rotatably socketed, said sleeve providing a bearing in which the bat is rotatable respecting the handle, the bat having a spindle projecting axially into the handle sleeve and having a head and provided with thrust connections to the handle to retain the handle in outward connection with the bat.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the holding means comprises a lag screw threaded into the bat and extending axially into the handle sleeve, the handle having an aperture for the lag screw and the lag screw having a head socketed in the handle for the connection of the handle with the bat.

'7. The device of claim 4 in which a lag screw is threaded into the bat and extends axially into the handle, the handle having a recess and a bearing aperture for the lag screw and the lag screw having a head socketed in the handle sleeve for the connection of the handle with the bat, and a compression spring seated in the recess about the lag screw and provided with anti-friction seats in thrust engagement with the handle and the screw head respectively.

8. The device of claim 2 in further combination with detent means adjustable between advanced and retracted positions and engageable in the advanced position thereof with both the bat and the handle, whereby to provide an interlocking connection between the bat and handle 4 for restraining the bat against rotation respecting the handle.

9. The combination with aligned ball bat and handle members, of a sleeve projecting from the handle member about the bat member and providing a bearing therefor, a lag screw threaded in the bat member and extending into the handle member and provided with a head, the handle member having a recess for said head whereby said lag screw connects said members, a detent rod movable axially between retracted and advanced positions respecting the handle member, the handle member having a bore for said rod and the bat member having a socket in registry with said bore and adapted to receive said rod in the advanced position thereof.

10. The device of claim 9 in which the end of the handle member is socketed to facilitate manipulation of the rod, the bore and rod terminating in the socket, and a latch plate provided in the socket pivotally adjustable to and from engagement with the rod, the rod having notches engageable by said latch plate according to the advanced or retracted position of the rod.

CARL A. CHRISTENSEN.

No references cited. 

